Weather seal for pre-cast structural panels

ABSTRACT

A weather seal disclosed for use between adjacent pre-cast panels in prefabricated buildings. Adjacent panels have juxtaposed grooves, containing interengagable resilient weather strips. An additional weather strip extends between the panels, spaced from the interengaged weather strips.

United States Patent [191 [111 3,747,292 Pilish 1 July 24, 1973 [54] WEATHER SEAL FOR PRE-CAST 3,343,324 9/1967 Gordon 52/403 STRUCTURAL LS 3,490,178 1/1970 Voisin....,.... 52/403 [75] Inventor: Andre Pilish, Wyncote, Pa. REI PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 579,710 8/1946 Great Britain 52 396 [731 Ass'gnee- The F 443,625 2/1968 Switzerland 49/484 Warmmsler 204,235 7 1959 Austria 52 395 [22] Filed: Sept. 21, 1970 Primary Examiner-Alfred C. Perham [21] App! Attorney-Seidel, Gonda & Goldhammer [52] U.S. Cl. 52/396, 52/403 5 BST A [51] Int. Cl E04d 1/36 7] A CT 581 Field of Search 52/396, 403; 49/483,, A Weather disclosed for use between adjacent 49 434 5 cast panels in prefabricated buildings. Adjacent panels have juxtaposed grooves, containing intereng'agable re- 5 R f n Cited silient weather strips. An additional weather strip ex- UNITED STATES PATENTS tends between the panels, spaced from the interend 3,526,071 9/1970 Watanabe 52/396 X gage weather strips 2,708,016 5/1955 Penton 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 2,741,342

4/1956 Etten 52/403 PAIENIEUJUL 2 7 3. 747. 292

58 62 F/G. 3 l0 72 F/G. 2 7 INVENTOR ANDRE P/L/SH ATTORNEYS 1 WEATHER SEAL FOR PRE-CAST STRUCTURAL PANELS This invention relates to weather seal for use in building structures, and more particularly, to weather seals suitable for use with pre-cast structural panels or the like.

It is well-known that dwellings or other buildings may be rapidly and economically manufacturedusing precast monolithic panels. Such panels, when assembled, form the outer walls and roof of the structure.

An important advantage of such buildings is their ease and rapidity of construction. Ideally, such buildings are capable of rapid assembly with the minimum of on-site preparation. It is important, however, that such buildings have most or all of the attributes of conventional construction, including durability and serviceability. v

In creating a serviceable building of pre-cast monolithic panels or large linear dimension, it is essential to allow for expansion and contraction of the panels with changes in temperature and minor earth movements. Moreover, as with conventional structures, it is necessary to allow for minor changes in the relative positions of the various structural members due to initial settling, or other causes.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide an elastic joint seal which is capable of accommodating, without damage or loss of effectiveness, relative movement between adjacent structural panels.

In my Italian patent no. 833,860, issued Jan. 2, 1969, I disclosed aweather seal wherein independent resilient weather strips associated with adjacent'structural members, became sealingly inter-engaged asthe members were placed in their erected positions. In the structure shown in that patent, it was intended that the weather strips be grouted over after erection of the panels, to form a rigid weather-tight joint. It is another object of this invention to provide a weather-tight joint, using individual weather strip members associated with respective panels, but providing a resilient joint capable of accommodating movement between adjacent panels.

Elastic joint seals have heretofore been proposed using a single sinuous membrane-like member having respective ends anchored to the adjacent panels. Such seals, it has been found, are difficult to install, since affixation of the ends must be accomplished during manipulation of the panels for assembly. It is a still further object of this invention to provide a weather-tight elastic joint seal wherein a pair of weather strip members become sealingly interengaged, without need for manipulation, as the structural members with which they are associated are placed in assembled relation.

It is another object to provide a ventilated elastic joint seal, wherein moisture partly penetrating the seal does not accumulate.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The foregoing and other objects are accomplished, in a presently preferred form of the invention, by a seal formed by resilient weather strip members disposed in juxtaposed grooves in adjacent panels, the members having finger portions extending outwardly of the grooves into sealing interengagement. Another resilient weather strip member extends between surfaces of the panels adjacent the grooves.

For purposes of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however. that this inven' tion is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a building, incorporating a weather seal in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a detail view showing certain elements of a weather seal in accordance with the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is seen in FIG. 1 a prefabricated building, designated generally by the reference numeral 10, the main structural components of which are of precast cementitious material, such as concrete or the like.

Thus, the building 10 in FIG. 1 includes outer wallforming panels, such as the end wall panel 12.and side wall panels 14 and 16, and roof-forming panels 18 and 20 overlying and coupled to upper peripheral edges of the end and side wall panels.

The end and side wall panels 12, 14, 16 are provided with suitable openings for pre-assembled window assemblies, such as the assemblies 22 and 24. In the illustrated building 10, the side wall panel 16 is also provided with an opening for a door frame 26 and door 28. Assembly of the various panels l2, 14, 16, 18 and 20 may be accomplished in any suitable manner.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is seen in greater detail the intersection of the side wall-forming panels 14 and 16 with a transversly extending'interior wall panel 30. The illustrated side wall panels 14 and 16 are disposed in substantially coplanar edge-to-edge relation, with their respective side edge faces 32 and 34 juxtaposed.

At inner faces of the side wall panels 14 and 16, and intersecting the side edge faces, right-angle grooves 36 and 38 may be provided. Taken together, the grooves 36 and 38 define a rabbet, designated generally by the reference numeral 40, for receiving an edge of the interior wall panel 30.

A layer of insulating material 42, such as polymeric foam or the like, is preferably interposed between a side edge face 44 of the interiorwall panel 30 and the bottom of the rabbet 40.

Beads 46, 48 of-a resilient sealant may be inserted between opposite faces of the interior wall panel 30 and the sides of the rabbet 40. Suitable sealants will occur to those skilled in the art, and include rubber or rubberlike natural or synthetic materials.

The side edge faces 32 and 34 of the side wall panels 14 and 16 are provided with respective grooves 50 and 52, extending in an edgewise direction, preferably for the entire length of the side edge faces 32 and 34.

Received in the grooves 50 and 52 are respective weather-strip members 54 and 56. The weather strip members 54 and 56 are made of elastomeric material. The illustrated weather strip members 54 and 56 include, when viewed in cross-section, base portions 58 and 60, and finger portions 62 and 64 projecting outwardly from the base portions 58 and 60. Thus, the weather strip members 54 and 56 are generally T- shaped in cross section. Other shapes, such as triangles, half-rounds and others may be used.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the above-mentioned grooves 50 and 52 include bottom walls 66 and 68, juxtaposed when the panels 14 and 16 are in assembled relation. The grooves 50 and 52 also include, in a pre- 3 ferred form, obliquely extending outer side faces 70, 72.

in their operative dispositions, the base portions 58, 60 of the weather strip members 54, 56 abut the bottom walls 66, 68 of the grooves 50, 52. Adhesive bonding may be used, if desired, to maintain the base portions 58, 60 in abutment with the bottom walls 60, 68. The respective finger portions 62, 64 extend outwardly of the grooves 50, 52 into mutually sealing engagement. The resilience of the material from which the weather strip members 54, 56 are formed tends to maintain such sealing engagement, despite the changes in the spacing of the edge faces 32, 34 of the panels 12 and 14 which occur due to settling of the building and thermally induced expansion or contraction of the panels.

A resilient outer seal 74 interconnects the portions of the edge faces 32 and 34 between the outer side walls 70, 72 of the grooves 50, 52 and the exterior faces of the side wall panels 14 and 16. The outer seal 74 is formed of elastic, weather-resilient material. The synthetic rubber-like substance sold under the trademark THIOKOU is one material which may be used. Others will occur to workers in the art.

it will be appreciated that the outer seal 74, like the weather strip members 54 and 56, deforms to accommodate changes in spacing between the edge faces 32, 34 of the panels 14 and 16. The outer seal 74 serves to protect the weather strip members 54 and 56 from damage due to the elements, foreign matter, vandalism, and other hazards. Moreover, the outer seal 74 presents a smooth outer surface, which is not prone to damage, and is aesthetically unobjectionable.

The seal 74 together with the finger portions 62,64 and panel parts 70, 72 form a channel 76, open at top and bottom, and serving to ventilate the joint, thus preventing the accumulation of moisture therein.

The internal construction of the illustrated panels l2, l4 and 30 is not, per se, a part of the present invention. Such panels, however, may include the usual embedded reinforcing rods, metallic grid or the like 78, 80, 82. Moreover, exterior wall panels such as the end wall panels 12 and 14 may include embedded insulating foam 84 and 86.

In view of the foregoing, it is believed apparent that the present invention provides a simple, effective, durable and easily installed elastic joint seal between adjacent building panels. Moreover, it is apparent that the seal in accordance with the present invention remains effective regardless of shifting of the panels with which it isused, or dimentional changes to which such panels are subject.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a building of the type comprising assembled, preformed panels, a pair of adjacent panels, said panels being disposed in generally coplanar edge-to-edge relation, a weather tight seal between said adjacent panels, said seal comprising a first groove in one of said panels and a second groove in the other of said panels, said grooves being disposed along spaced juxtaposed edge faces of said adjacent panels when said panels are in assembled relation, said grooves comprising respective 10 juxtaposed bottom walls, and obliquely extending outer walls interconnecting said bottom wall and said edge faces, said oblique walls converging toward said edge faces, a first resilient weather strip member disposed in said first groove and a second resilient weather strip member disposed in said second groove, each of said weather strip members being generally T-shaped in cross section and having a head within said groove and a finger extending outwardly from said head, and said outwardly extending finger on said first weather strip member is in sealing relation with the outwardly extending finger on said second weather strip member, and a third weather strip member, said third weather strip member being disposed between the portions of said edge faces between said grooves and the outer faces of said panels and in spaced relation from said first and second weather strip members to define a channel therebetween abd to present a smooth outer surface between said adjacent panels.

2. In a building in accordance with claim 1, said adjacent panels being wall-forming panels.

3. In a prefabricated building of the type comprising pre-cast cementitious wall-forming and roof-forming panels assembled to provide a unitary structure, a pair of adjacent panels, said panels being disposed in generally coplanar edge-to-edge relation, a weather tight seal between said adjacent panels, said seal comprising a first groove in one of said panels and a second groove in the other of said panels, said grooves being disposed along spaced juxtaposed edge faces of said adjacent panels when said panels are in assembled relation, said grooves comprising respective juxtaposed bottom walls, and obliquely extending outer walls interconnecting said bottom walls and said edge faces, said oblique walls converging toward said edge faces, a first resilient weather strip member disposed in said first groove and having a finger portion thereof extending outwardly of said groove, a second resilient weather strip member disposed in said second groove and having a finger portion thereof extending outwardly of said groove and into sealing engagement with the finger portion of said first resilient weather strip member, and a third resilient weather strip member, said third resilient weather strip member being disposed between the portions of said edge faces between said grooves and the outer faces of said panels and in spaced relation from said first and second weather strip members to define a channel therebetween and to present a smooth outer surface between said adjacent panels.

4 i l 4' l 

1. In a building of the type comprising assembled, preformed panels, a pair of adjacent panels, said panels being disposed in generally coplanar edge-to-edge relation, a weather tight seal between said adjacent panels, said seal comprising a first groove in one of said panels and a second groove in the other of said panels, said grooves being disposed along spaced juxtaposed edge faces of said adjacent panels when said panels are in assembled relation, said grooves comprising respective juxtaposed bottom walls, and obliquely extending outer walls interconnecting said bottom wall and said edge faces, said oblique walls converging toward said edge faces, a first resilient weather strip member disposed in said first groove and a second resilient weather strip member disposed in said second groove, each of said weather strip members being generally T-shaped in cross section and having a head within said groove and a finger extending outwardly from said head, and said outwardly extending finger on said first weather strip member is in sealing relation with the outwardly extending finger on said second weather strip member, and a third weather strip member, said third weather strip member being disposed between the portions of said edge faces between said grooves and the outer faces of said panels and in spaced relation from said first and second weather strip members to define a channel therebetween abd to present a smooth outer surface between said adjacent paNels.
 2. In a building in accordance with claim 1, said adjacent panels being wall-forming panels.
 3. In a prefabricated building of the type comprising pre-cast cementitious wall-forming and roof-forming panels assembled to provide a unitary structure, a pair of adjacent panels, said panels being disposed in generally coplanar edge-to-edge relation, a weather tight seal between said adjacent panels, said seal comprising a first groove in one of said panels and a second groove in the other of said panels, said grooves being disposed along spaced juxtaposed edge faces of said adjacent panels when said panels are in assembled relation, said grooves comprising respective juxtaposed bottom walls, and obliquely extending outer walls interconnecting said bottom walls and said edge faces, said oblique walls converging toward said edge faces, a first resilient weather strip member disposed in said first groove and having a finger portion thereof extending outwardly of said groove, a second resilient weather strip member disposed in said second groove and having a finger portion thereof extending outwardly of said groove and into sealing engagement with the finger portion of said first resilient weather strip member, and a third resilient weather strip member, said third resilient weather strip member being disposed between the portions of said edge faces between said grooves and the outer faces of said panels and in spaced relation from said first and second weather strip members to define a channel therebetween and to present a smooth outer surface between said adjacent panels. 